More companies are planning to hire business-school graduates in 2011 but most aren't planning to offer higher salaries, according to a survey conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council, which administers the GMAT business-school exam.

Sixty-four percent of executives, managers and recruiters polled plan to hire new M.B.A. grads in 2011, up from 60% who said they did so in 2010.

Yet 69% said they expected salaries offered to M.B.A. grads would remain flat with those in 2010. Only 26% expected an increase, while 4% forecast a decrease. The survey was conducted in November and included 210 executives, managers and recruiters from 194 companies.

Dave Wilson, president and chief executive officer of GMAC, says the hiring uptick reflects the general economic recovery as well as strength in particular industries such as technology and energy.

But he says the job market isn't yet strong enough for many companies to need higher salaries to attract good candidates.

'As the economy recovers, the demand for management grows, and the M.B.A. market is one of the easiest targets to go after,' Mr. Wilson says. 'Nowadays, companies can get a well-trained asset at a reasonable price.'

At the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business, students slated to graduate in 2011 who have received job offers have generally reported salaries similar to what 2010 graduates got, says Peter Giulioni, assistant dean and executivedirector of M.B.A. career services. But there has been a slight uptick in the number of employers offering signing bonuses and relocation packages, he says.

Employers' hiring plans, of course, may change. About a quarter of survey respondents said they hired fewer M.B.A.s in 2010 than they had originally anticipated.